this satisfying vegetarian main dish is equally good put together with leftover cooked spinach, rice, and scraps of cheese. I use Parmesan here -- but you can substitute cirtually any flavorful grated cheese. It's quite attractive when unmolded. Any leftovers are good cold or cut into thick slices and sauteed in olive oil.

This easy-to-make main course has a delicate flavor set off by a soft texture that's a cross between a custard and a souffle. The recipe makes enough for a hearty meal -- or you can recycle leftovers with no loss of flavor. As the eggplant mixture looks beige when cooked, set it off with something colorful, such as sliced tomatoes topped with scallion greens or a raw carrot, zucchini, and lettuce salad. The cheeses are salty, so you may wish to omit the salt.